P08BF: Pressure Control Solenoid L Control Circuit/Open

Points to an open control circuit of pressure control solenoid L: the module sees no load where the coil should be. No manufacturer documents this code publicly; Toyota, the only known user of letter L, has published just P08BA71. GM's open-load test for the analogous solenoid M (P08C8) shows the method: with the low-side driver switched off, the coil should pull the sense pin up to battery voltage; if the driver chip can hold it between roughly 1.7 and 3 V with a tiny current, the circuit is open. Confirmation takes 150 ms. P08C1 and P08C2 are the short to ground and short to power. Typical results are a fallback gear and the warning light.

Medium severity. Can I keep driving?Drive as little as possible and gently. If the transmission slips or stays in one gear, go slowly to a repair shop or call for a tow truck.

Symptoms

Check engine light on
Transmission in fallback gear

Most likely causes

Connector loose, unplugged or corroded
Broken wire in the internal or external harness
Solenoid coil burnt open

What to check, in order

Start with the simplest. You can tick off each step.

Check the fluid level and condition according to the manufacturer
Check the continuity of the wire between the component and the control module.
Check the transmission connector
Read the data with a transmission-compatible scanner
Measure the solenoid valve circuit
Leave opening the transmission to a specialized repair shop

Good to know

Repair difficulty: hard
It can trigger limp mode.
It affects emissions.

What each character of P08BF means

P: Powertrain: engine and transmission
0: Generic code: same on every make
8: Transmission
BF: Specific fault in that system

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P08BF?

Drive as little as possible and gently. If the transmission slips or stays in one gear, go slowly to a repair shop or call for a tow truck.

What causes code P08BF?

The most common causes are: connector loose, unplugged or corroded; broken wire in the internal or external harness; solenoid coil burnt open.

Related codes

Sources

Values and procedures vary by manufacturer. If it affects brakes, steering, fuel or high voltage, see a professional. Updated: 2026-11-04. How we build these pages.